Thanks that was helpful, re the calcium potassium ratio I have not really looked into this in depth, should I be increasing my potassium levels now? Is there any supplements foods etc I should introduce or eliminate ? I have not had a hair mineral test mainly due to finances but I realise this would be very beneficial. Re my appt with gp last week she suggested I will be fine to conceive and believes no harm will come to baby with my subclinical hypothyroidism, initially during the consultation she was goin to refer me to an endocrinologist however after consulting with a colleague they have decided to wait until I'm pregnant but have said I will need close mointering as it is likely i will develop overt hypothyroidism once pregnant.

Doctors and drug companies have know for decades, since the 1960s, that copper in the IUD will cause these symptoms. Those copper IUDs leak copper into the system which causes an imbalance of minerals in the body. This is essentially a poison. Copper is needed for iron balance in the blood, but it can throw off the zinc in the body.

All IUDs carry the danger of PID in addition to the copper problems. The Dalkon Shield did not contain copper yet it is off the market for a very good reason.

Doctors have known this since before you were born. Ask your doctor why you were not warned about these dangers.

WOW! My mind is being blown right now. The only form of birth control I've ever used is an IUD. First, I had Mirena and now Paragard. I had side effects while on Mirena, but most of all wanted my period again.

Got Paragard a year ago and I hadn't thought about a correlation between my IUD and the rut I've been in... probably because I was already kind of in a rut last year, but it hadn't evolved into how bad it's gotten over the past six months.

Does anyone have links to these studies? I'd love to read more about this (if not, I can just Google it).

Wow I've been having just about every single one of the symptoms that everyone on this forum have described and I too had the copper IUD implanted about 7 months ago. Definitely getting it removed as soon as I can find a local doctor to do so. I only got the IUD because I had to get on birth control like asap since I had a baby in July of 2014 and started dating a man whom is dead-set against condom use. He wants me pregnant but I'm not ready for it yet again. Hormonal birth control is out of the question because I was on the Depo-shot for about a year as a teenager which almost caused me to be infertile since it stopped my menstrual cycle for 14 years after I went off the Depo. So I guess what I'm saying is, does anyone have any suggestions for an alternative contraception that ISN'T an IUD, condoms, or any hormonal birth control?!? I'm at a loss :/

I have not posted here for many many months but this is the bulletin board where I first found out about all the other women out there suffering from the same things that I was experiencing. Since then, I have gotten it taken out and felt immediately better. I have started an IUD Awareness page and website and am helping out on a support group on facebook.

For all of you out there that are just figuring this thing out, keep with it as there is hope.
7 months ago I was in horrible shape and experiencing tons of anxiety, hair loss, blurry vision, ringing in ears, inability to sleep and felt like my life was coming to an end. Now, post removal I am getting my life back and all of that stuff is a distant memory

I got my hair tested to see if it would support my suspicions of having copper toxicity,

The cost varies slightly but in general is very affordable. In my case I paid $215. It could have been $135 buy I chose to spend $80 for the 50 page interpretive booklet sent directly from the lab. It was so full of good information that I'm glad I got it. Probably won't next time though as it seems like I can now apply the info that I have learned.

My results came back a few weeks ago and show that I have hidden copper in my tissues, that I am in an "all 4 low, slow oxidizer pattern" and that my parasympathetic nervous system is not functioning properly. My counselor adjusted my diet somewhat and is now recommending a few new supplements, which I an just getting going on. I had a Paragard in for just 10 months. First 5 months were excessive bleeding & exhaustion. Second 5 months, anxiety hell, losing hair & eyesight, insomnia, mind racing, etc.... Got it taken out 2 months ago and symptoms started going away within 2 days.

Have also been doing regular detox with infared saunas, coffee enemas & ayurvedic lymphatic massage and have been getting better each and every day with minimal lows. Don't think I have felt the effects of a serious "dump" and feel like that is due to diligent detoxing.
In general, doing the hair testing and following the Nutritional Balancing Protocol both are low cost but effective ways of at least taking one step forward in getting strong & healthy again.

Check it out & please give any feedback if you do or have tried the hair testing. Would love to know some of your stories around it.
Thanks!

What Can Go Wrong With An IUD?IUD - Intra Uterine Device or better called Intra Uterine Damage (from Dr Gangemi)

DURING INSERTION

The practitioner can make a mistake and penetrate your uterus with the IUD or not place it correctly.

You can pass out, fall off the table, feel completely nauseous, throw up, get dizzy, bleed and/ or "experience the worst pain of your entire life".

You body can reject or expel the IUD. The recent Skyla ad states that expulsion happens in 3 out of 100 women (3%) but some other literature says it happens 20% of the time; so is very common. Instead of wondering "Why?" and maybe thinking that our bodies are trying to tell us something, doctors then re-insert the device, sometimes as many as 6 or 7 more times!

JUST AFTER INSERTION (or at any time)

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease happens in less than 1% of the women who get an IUD. That number is from Bayer so in reality is likely even higher. PID is a serious infection that can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic pain that does not go away and which can require surgery and/or a hysterectomy. It can also kill you!

Perforation or getting embedded. Can't feel the threads? IUD's can easily "move" and cause internal scarring & infection or can end up either embedded in the wall of your uterus or penetrating the wall of your uterus. If it penetrates, it can end up elsewhere in you body, likely causing lots of damage to other organs. The risk of penetration is increased in breastfeeding women!!

Heavy Bleeding, Abnormal Blood or No Bleeding. Changes in the your menstrual cycle should be expected and are even warned about. Heavy bleeding is very common with the Paragard. It is not normal for our bodies to change their cycles this dramatically. A dark brown discharge that stinks is mentioned a lot by Paragard users.

AT ANY TIME (within days, years or decades) Many of these symptoms work their way into our lives and psyche without us even realizing it, which is why so many of us don't pinpoint the IUD as being the cause right away. If you are experiencing any of these things, ask yourself whether they have either started or increased since getting the IUD.

Pelvic pain and/or pain during sex, including male partner getting "poked" or "cut" by the strings.

Skin rashes or acne. Acne is a pretty common side effect and serious scarring acne is reported by many women.

Bad smells or odors from entire body but especially from "down there".

Hair falling out or going grey.

Ovarian Cysts. Even Bayer (the manufacturer of the Mirena & the Skyla) states that 14% of women who get IUD's will develop an ovarian cyst. These cysts can require surgery and can over the very long term set someone up for future cancer.

Cysts in armpits & breasts. These are the result of our immune (lymph) system trying its best to rid our bodies of the toxins and excess hormones caused by the IUD. The lymph tries to isolate the toxins so that it can get rid of them, but gets overwhelmed and the isolated toxins then form a cyst or blockage in the system. If our lymph cannot drain properly, then our immune system is not able to function and cleanse our body. These cysts are suspect in causing breast cancer as well.

Endometriosis

Pregnancy, Miscarriages & IUD Babies. Pregnancies do happen with IUD's and if it does there are many major complications to deal with. They cannot remove the IUD once you are pregnant without threatening the life of the fetus so the baby can develop with the IUD inside a part of its body! Many don't make it through the whole process and miscarriages are very common and can be life threatening to you as there is a high risk of infection and other complications.

OVARIAN, BREAST OR ARMPIT CYSTS ANYONE??
My ayurvedic practitioner (who has been incredible at helping my lymph system start flowing properly again and able to detox and heal my body from the IUD) found cysts in both my breasts & armpits at my first appointment. She told me that she has been paying careful attention over the last 10 years that IUD's have been gaining in popularity and that "EVERY WOMAN with a Paragard IUD who she has seen HAS HAD CYSTS in her armpits, breasts &/or ovaries"!!!! Her reasoning is that the cysts are caused by our immune system trying to do its job of isolating and removing excess, toxins, heavy metals and hormones, but that we IUD users have so many of them that that very system gets overwhelmed and the cysts that are formed are not able to be eliminated properly and continue to both get bigger as well as clog up and stop our lymph system from being able to properly deal with and eliminate that which our body recognizes as a threat. It's all about keeping the "river of life" flowing. Well done lymphatic massage is amazing at getting them to drains and mine are all now either almost gone or already completely gone. Highly recommended and totally non-invasive. GETTING THE LYMPH FLOWING There's a self care technique that can be done at home called "gua shaw" which helps out as well, especially if they are not too big or to keep them from forming in the first place. I'm doing that regularly. I think another technique called "dry brushing" also does the same thing of stimulating the lymph to flow and drain. If the cysts are left in that state, then they can burst & bleed and otherwise cause all types of trouble in and of themselves including

fibrocystic & polycystic disorders,

hysterectomy

and can also be a pre-curser to possible future cancers....... which I have been finding alarmingly common in the stories from women who used IUDs in the 1970's & 1980's, especially breast and ovarian cancers..... right in the spots where the lymph system flows?!!. Here's the official new Liletta FDA Approval information regarding cysts (quoted straight from the 43 page document):

17 PATIENT COUNSELING INFORMATION
17.1 Information for Patients Advise the patient to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (Patient Information).
Counsel the patient regarding the risk of ovarian cysts and that cysts can cause clinical symptoms including pelvic pain, abdominal pain or dyspareunia and infrequently will need surgery.
[See Warnings and Precautions (5.7).]
WARNINGS & PRECAUTIONS
5.7 Ovarian Cysts Because the contraceptive effect of LILETTA is mainly due to its local effects within the uterus, ovulatory cycles with follicular rupture usually occur in women of fertile age using LILETTA. Sometimes atresia of the follicle is delayed and the follicle may continue to grow. Most ovarian cysts that occur during use of LNG-releasing IUSs are asymptomatic and disappear spontaneously during two to three months of observation. Cysts that cause clinical symptoms can result in pelvic or abdominal pain or dyspareunia. Symptomatic ovarian cysts occurred in 3.4% of subjects using LILETTA, and 0.3% of subjects discontinued use of LILETTA because of an ovarian cyst.
Evaluate persistent ovarian cysts. Surgical intervention is not usually required, but may be necessary in some cases. Discuss this risk with patients who choose to use LILETTA.
Please comment and share your cyst story. Thanks! PLEASE LIKE this note if you would like to get notifications of future edits or comments. PLEASE SHARE this note with anyone who might benefit from this information. THANKS!

What does “Rare” mean when talkng about IUD Side Effects?
I am trying to write up a good balanced response to the numerous people who love to write off or dismiss my experiences (and those of most of the members of this group) by saying that it is "RARE".What exactly does "rare" mean when you are talking about a device that is being given to over 3 million women?

According to most of the manufacturer information "RARE" seems to be a less than a 1% risk for each of the following serious & life threatening side effects:

Perforations

PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease),

Other Life Threatening Infections,

Adhesions,

IUD Pregnancy,

Ectopic Pregnancies &

Strep Infection.

So....even if you are conservative and figure that all of them together total at least a 1% occurrence rate of just these 7 side effects in the total number of women that have gotten IUDs (estimated at at least 3 million women); then they have dramatically affected the lives of at least 30,000 WOMEN.
That is not even counting other "accepted" side effects. By Bayer's own estimation 14% of users get ovarian cysts (420,000 WOMEN) and 3% of users will have them expel (90,000 WOMEN). That is 510,000 WOMEN having a negative physical response from the device.
Add all of them together and you get an estimated minimum of 540,000 WOMEN out of 3 million that have suffered from PHYSICAL SIDE EFFECTS.
These numbers also do not even take into consideration the long list of MENTAL & EMOTIONAL SIDE EFFECTS like anxiety, depression, insomnia, tinnitus, constant headaches and the OTHER PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS like weight gain and skin rashes etc.... that have been getting repeatedly reported by increasing numbers of women as being directly caused by IUDs.
With those symptoms are taken into account, the total number of women affected negatively could easily top a minimum of 1 MILLION WOMEN.As these statistics show, the number of women being negatively affected by IUDs is not small, even though it is statistically "rare".

If you get a side effect, then it doesn't matter how rare it is. It is then 100% occurring in your life.
These women have suffered, are still suffering, have as strong desire to warn other women of their experiences and our stories deserve to be heard and taken into account by any woman who is considering getting an IUD.
Thanks for taking the time to read and consider this point of view... which by the way is reflected strongly in my personal experience.

It's now been 6 months since I had my Paragard IUD removed and I am greatly improved
Need to write a detailed update to this note, which is in progress, but for now want to add this simple list of what I see are the easiest and most important things to do post removal of an IUD. There are more things that help, but this is the simple list of what you can do right away, for very little money and with little trouble. Read the rest of the note for details on each

Here's info on detoxing, rebalancing and testing that I wrote in the first month after I had my Paragard IUD removed.

Had Paragard IUD in for 10 months & got it removed on Sept 16, 2015

WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON?:
I am coming more and more to believe that it is also NOT JUST COPPER TOXICITY that we are dealing with:

OTHER FACTORS ARE AT WORK BOTH DURING & AFTER IUD:
-COPPER: There are two distinct forms of copper:
--Bio-available copper which is essential to our health and found in certain foods;
--Bio-unavailable copper which is toxic and seen as an invader to our systems.

A friend posted this description of how the bio-unavailable copper in a IUD likely our bodies produce excess hormones.
"The copper IUD triggers the release of prostaglandins in the uterus, which in turn affect hormone regulation including estrogen/progesterone balance. Since the prostaglandin production isn't consistent across women, and their interactions with hormone signaling are really complex and also dependent on other factors like diet and stress, it intuitively makes sense to me that the effects would vary a lot across women, from none to severe."

According to Dr Wilson & Dr Malter, bio-unavailable copper is often absorbed and builds up in our muscle tissue, liver & brain. This is what they say causes copper toxicity. They also talk about certain people that are already prone to being copper toxic… in that their bodies don't release copper as easily as other people. Anyone can get enough copper toxicity that causes problems, but certain people are more easily & quickly affected.

-INFLAMMATION: IUD's all cause inflammation of our uterus and that is the main thing that makes them work.
Who knows how our bodies respond to that? Madalyn's logic described in the White Blood Cell Count testing paragraph addresses this some, but it is something that I want to look into more.

-HORMONE & MINERAL IMBALANCE: Both copper & inflammation are likely to affect our hormone levels, which are interconnected with our mineral levels. It is all a very complicated and delicate system. This is why hair testing is such a good method because, if read by a well trained and experienced person, it can show how all of these things are out of balance and gives a personalized roadmap to what needs to be done. Then, by taking certain supplements or eating certain foods rich in particular minerals, we can start to move all those "teeter totters" back into balance. If we just take a blanket supplement, such as zinc because it generally counteracts copper, we can accidentally push ourselves in the exact opposite direction of where we got to go. In this example, many people who have copper toxicity are also deficient in essential bio-available copper. If these people take zinc, then they will get more sick instead of better. Regular hair testing during balancing and detox helps one avoid these "wrong turns".

-ENERGETICS: Copper as a metal is very reactive and gives off a strong energy field and when put inside our bodies, disrupts our own personal energy fields; which also throws everything out of balance. Another viewpoint, which I just learned from my friend Franchesca Duval, is that our belly or uterus is our creative center and is directly related to our pituitary gland. If we plug our uterus up and disturb the flow of energy, then we loose our creative spark & motivation.

-COPPER or TOXIC DUMPING: We are in a state of crisis because we are carrying a very heavy load of something, due to which parts of our body are malfunctioning in some way. Our bodies are already doing what they were designed to do in trying to get rid of whatever they perceives to be a threat, but if too much gets released too fast, especially into a system whose "exits" are blocked, then the result is that the copper or toxins are not completely purged, get re-absorbed into the body somewhere else and we feel very poorly. Anything that is released into the blood needs to then pass through the spleen, kidney and liver. Our other main exits are our skin & lymph (or immune) system.

-MUCH MORE that still needs to be figured out and explained.
Now that I got my hair test back, I am starting to add a few more things specific to my individual body situation & we will see what happens.

My body immediately calmed down after removal and felt like it heaved a huge sigh of relief and then went to work trying to rid itself of what it has been holding.

In any case…. it seems like THESE THINGS ARE BASICS that any of us can do right away without much danger of going the wrong way.
Any feedback would be great if anyone else tries some of this stuff out… or has anything to add.

WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING…. in order of perceived importance.
It is a mixture of things from Dr Wilson, my ayurvedic practitioners & my naturopath.

AVOIDING DEHYDRATION & MINERAL DEPLETION:
-DRINKING tons of spring WATER (trying to avoid heavy metals & chemicals that might be in other water)
-DRINKING 1/2 tsp salt dissolved in 1/2 cup Aloe juice in the am & pm (salt can be adjusted to taste, should feel good and not too salty)
-TAKING kelp & magnesium daily

My first 4 massages have been truly awesome and pushed me a huge way forward.
-my uterus had become very inflamed and had gotten stuck inside by pelvis.
The practitioner was able to pull it out & it is now in the right place
-I had a bunch of cysts under both of my armpits which were stopping up my lymph flow that have now been released
-I have two large cysts in both breasts which need to be worked regularly to eventually get them to drain.
-My organs were manipulated and released a lot of toxins & several areas on my body that were holding copper have been released.
The practitioners at the Dhyana Center in Sebastopol, CA are incredible and also have trained lots of other practitioners who have now opened up their own spaces in different parts of the US.
Call (707)823-8818 if local for an appointment or (800) 796-6863 if far away to inquire if anyone they have trained is in your area.

DETOXING (moving stuff out slowly but surely):
-using an INFARED SAUNA daily at first and now 1X every other day.
-SCRAPING SKIN in sauna (or at other times using oil) with a gua sha (beveled piece of stone, horn or wood) which is rubbed back and forth on the skin starting at the extremities and moving towards the heart. Redness is common and means it's working.
-DRY BRUSHING skin daily (this is just using normal hair brush & helps with skin detox) Skin is our largest organ.
-DRINKING a small amount of CARROT JUICE daily, sometimes with hibiscus concentrate in it
-EATING cilantro, parsley & meat at every meal if possible, especially venison, buffalo, lamb, etc….

WORKING THROUGH MY EMOTIONS From the beginning I was determined to figure out how to warn other women and keep them from falling into this same trap. That has quickly transformed into my IUD AWARENESS CAMPAIGN: Are They Really Safe. Having this mission to focus my anger on by actually trying to do something about a thing that originally felt like an unstoppable tide has now become a huge part of my healing process More to come soon about all of that!

ENEMAS: I know that the idea of doing an enema gives most people pause & that's how I felt at first, but it is really pretty simple, easy & painless. You can hardly feel it & lots of people believe that it is an essential part of the detox process. The purpose of doing it is supposed to be to get your liver to release the toxins & metals that it is holding….. so that it can then more effectively filter your blood of the new toxins & metals that have been released. If the liver isn't supported in this way, then it can have a lot of trouble doing its job, you feel sick and the detox process doesn't move forward as well.

Coffee enema - Use with caution. If you have to go poo, do it before the enema. Only 2 cups of good clean water, start with 1tsp of coffee then work up to 2tsp & then 1T if you want, simmered in water 12 minutes, then strained through coffee filter & cooled. Add 2 T aloe juice (optional but soothing & recommended). What has been working best for me is the bucket with a soft tube (w/ small hole in end) - available at most drug stores. Fill the tube with coffee by briefly releasing flow clip. Lubricate the tip and only insert 3" into anus. I squat to put it in, then lay down on the bathroom floor with my bottom slightly raised by a folded towel. Hold bucket up with one hand & release the flow with the other. Close flow clip when liquid is gone & remove tube. Raising you buttocks up into bridge pose is optional but helps the liquid flow further up your colon. Rolling to the right once or twice is good to move to the other part of the colon. Hold for 15 minutes (or as long as you can). Then get on toilet and let it all go. Also when finished get up and move around for a few minutes then sit back on toilet as it seems there is usually one last flush. Sometimes there is another on even later that urges you back to the toilet. Rinse bucket in hot water and let dry.

At first, the effect of the enema was really incredible and I felt very good afterward (and very happy to have that stinky stuff out of my body); so I was sometimes doing them 2X/day. Now the effects are less drastic so I am doing them 1X/day or every other day depending on how I feel. Enemas are commonly used in ayurvedic medicine, but they use konbu (a kelp) but not coffee. It is advised to use the coffee enema when needed but not too much for too long as it can be depleting or drying. Now that I am more stable I am hoping to try to interchange using coffee one time and then konbu (which is nourishing instead of drying) another time.

The suggested order is: drink carrot juice, do sauna, do enema & then eat. You don't want to do either the sauna or enema just after eating.
The magnesium & kelp are super important when doing this process to keep good minerals abundant.

Now that I know what was causing this and can actually talk to people, my whole community which is packed with people that have been working with natural healing for years are coming out in force to help support me in my detox process. We are all learning a lot in the process

Have a bunch of new testing & treatment options on the horizon but mostly am waiting on my hair test results before moving forward.

SYMPTOM IMPROVEMENT as of today:
Right away when I got the IUD taken out on Sept 16:
-my hair has stopped falling out!!!
-my brain fog cleared a lot.
-my anxiety, depression & fear lessened tremendously & have now almost disappeared.

Since that time
-my brain fog has almost completely cleared
-I feel much more in my body.
-I am feeling much more like myself again each and every day
-I am able to sleep more and awake feeling a little bit rested..... for the first time in 5 months
-my eyes are no longer sore & red
-I have been able to start driving a car & actually do things.
-my agoraphobia has completely disappeared
-I've been going out, re-connecting with friends, socializing.
-my ability to handle stress and breathe through excited conversations seems to be improving.
-the tinnitus (ringing in my ears) has lessened and is often not there at all
-the melody playing in my head since the beginning is often not there at all either
-my vision seems to be improving
-my mind is racing a lot less, and when it does it is with positive ideas.
-I have been giving presentations on IUD Awareness and speaking to large groups of people

TESTING

HAIR TEST: Got my hair test back and it shows "hidden copper" in my tissues but that I am low on good bio-available copper.
I am also low on all 4 of the critical minerals: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium & Potassium. More on this soon. There is a lot that this test shows!
I am working with one of Dr Wilson's counselors and really like her. She had copper toxicity (not IUD related) that caused an experience strikingly similar to mine, used Dr Wilson's protocol to heal and has been helping other people heal for the last 8 years and training other counselors for the past 3. She has interpreted it for me and given me recommendations on what to do and it all seems to fit and make sense. Cost for this seems pretty reasonable. You pay a flat fee (which varies slightly depending on the counselor) which covers initial consult, testing, analysis, recommendations and email followup until the when they recommend sending in another test to check progress.

BLOOD & URINE TESTS: Regular ones apparently don't work very well for testing for copper, but I did get my blood the day I got the IUD out: Results: Total Copper 109 (70-175 mcg/dL) & Ceruloplasmin 25 (18-53 mcg/dL), which are both in normal range.
Even though everyone says that they don't show anything, I just did a 24 hour urine copper test to see what it says.

OTHER TESTS: An IV chelation provocation is also used to force the metals out and then test the urine. It is what my naturopath is recommending but it feels like that process will be WAY TOO MUCH for my liver to handle right now; so I am going to wait on that one. Dr Wilson warns strongly against all chelation and my ayurvedic practitioners agree that my system is already being to challenged right now to a handle a heavy chelation. My ayurvedic practitioners say that some more natural chelation will likely happen later on when I have less in my systems as part of a more final detox.

My friend Madalyn asked me about my White Blood Cell Count. A CBC Blood Test was done on 5/1/15 just after the severe anxiety & depression presented itself (about 5 months after getting the IUD) and before I had started any medications. Just by chance, my naturopath had also ordered some blood work almost exactly a year before (well before the IUD); so I have something to compare my level to
5/21/2014 (pre IUD) White Blood Cell Count: 7.9 (3.8-10.8)
5/1/2015 (during IUD) White Blood Cell Count: 10.2 (3.8-10.8)

So, it does appear that MY WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT HAD GONE UP quite a bit, not enough to be above the norm, but if the doc had taken the time to compare the two, it seems like it was noticeable enough to look at. In his defense, he didn't have the first test as it was done by my naturopath, but I still feel like a number that close to the top of the range found in someone obviously in crisis, really should be at least mentioned. I'm curious to get another one and see if it has gone back down as I am now post IUD and feeling better & better each day.

Here's Madalyn's logic behind the idea, which makes lots of good sense
"Have you had blood tests done recently, measuring any immunological markers? The logic behind my question is as follows... Our bodies are programmed to respond to things that we don't recognize. This means that when our immune system recognizes a foreign body, it goes on alert. This process can cause inflammation, and initially elevated white blood cell count among other things. Over time, if a immune system has been working hard it becomes weakened. if you are stressed this is exacerbated and more things begin to seem like threats. This is physical and can also be emotional. and like with adrenal fatigue, your deep immunity gets wiped out. I guess I'm wondering if on some level this is a factor with the iud. If peoples bodies are working so hard to expel it, that they become depleted, inflamed, and ultimately folks experience the anxiety, depression, and paranoia that happen when our deep immunity is weakened and our bodies feel very vulnerable. I guess i'm wondering if this is showing up clinically or sub-clinically on peoples blood tests, like their white cell counts and cd57's. "

Please help support this very important Documentary Effort called Inner U Destroyed.
Kathryn Shasha plans to interview 20 women about their IUD experiences.
I have already given my interview and am doing all I can to help.
We have a voice and it is through efforts like this that we can get our stories heard.
The most important thing right now to help this project move forward is to "FOLLOW" the project at the Seed & Spark website.
500 followers by the end of the month will move it to the next level of distribution and support.
Sign in is required but you can use facebook and we have also been assured that information is private and will not be shared outside the project.https://www.seedandspark.com/studio/inner-u-destroyed-3…
Then, SHARE this info with others using the links listed below.
Please take the time and effort to help us out RIGHT NOW! Thanks

WE DID IT!! We have reached our first goal of 500 followers which has qualified the IUD documentary "Inner U Destroyed" for distribution support!!
THANKS SO MUCH to all of you for the wonderful turnout of interest and help

Now, we've got 18 hours left to get as many more followers and a bit more $ to be able to keep the money that has been pledged and also be in the running of for even more financial and distribution support. It's a rally and we need to get up to $10,000 total pledged (or a huge number of followers) for the next step to happen. $6,400 has already been pledged, so that means we only need $3,600 more.

Even making a $10 pledge could help make it so we can reach that threshold! This is sort of like doing a matching pledge on public radio Your little bit of money could in reality make it possible for the project to get a tremendous amount of support in many unforeseen ways

Please help support this very important Documentary Effort called Inner U Destroyed.
Kathryn Shasha plans to interview 20 women about their IUD experiences.
I have already given my interview and am doing all I can to help.
We have a voice and it is through efforts like this that we can get our stories heard.
The most important thing right now to help this project move forward is to "FOLLOW" the project at the Seed & Spark website.
500 followers by the end of the month will move it to the next level of distribution and support.
Sign in is required but you can use facebook and we have also been assured that information is private and will not be shared outside the project.https://www.seedandspark.com/studio/inner-u-destroyed-3…
Then, SHARE this info with others using the links listed below.
Please take the time and effort to help us out RIGHT NOW! Thanks

WE DID IT!! We have reached our first goal of 500 followers which has qualified the IUD documentary "Inner U Destroyed" for distribution support!!
THANKS SO MUCH to all of you for the wonderful turnout of interest and help

Now, we've got 18 hours left to get as many more followers and a bit more $ to be able to keep the money that has been pledged and also be in the running of for even more financial and distribution support. It's a rally and we need to get up to $10,000 total pledged (or a huge number of followers) for the next step to happen. $6,400 has already been pledged, so that means we only need $3,600 more.

Even making a $10 pledge could help make it so we can reach that threshold! This is sort of like doing a matching pledge on public radio Your little bit of money could in reality make it possible for the project to get a tremendous amount of support in many unforeseen ways

Doctors and drug companies have know for decades, since the 1960s, that copper in the IUD will cause these symptoms. Those copper IUDs leak copper into the system which causes an imbalance of minerals in the body. This is essentially a poison. Copper is needed for iron balance in the blood, but it can throw off the zinc in the body.

All IUDs carry the danger of PID in addition to the copper problems. The Dalkon Shield did not contain copper yet it is off the market for a very good reason.

Doctors have known this since before you were born. Ask your doctor why you were not warned about these dangers.

Well said.... and the Copper 7 was another one back in the '70s that was taken off the market in such a way that everyone thought it was banned. In reality, the companies which were responsible (Monsanto & Searle) settled the lawsuits and swept it all under the rug..... only to have the same thing released many years later by Ortho as the "new" Copper T, which was acquired by Bayer and renamed the Paragard.

WE DID IT!! We have reached our first goal of 500 followers which has qualified the IUD documentary "Inner U Destroyed" for distribution support!!
THANKS SO MUCH to all of you for the wonderful turnout of interest and help

Now, we've got 18 hours left to get as many more followers and a bit more $ to be able to keep the money that has been pledged and also be in the running of for even more financial and distribution support. It's a rally and we need to get up to $10,000 total pledged (or a huge number of followers) for the next step to happen. $6,400 has already been pledged, so that means we only need $3,600 more.

Even making a $10 pledge could help make it so we can reach that threshold! This is sort of like doing a matching pledge on public radio Your little bit of money could in reality make it possible for the project to get a tremendous amount of support in many unforeseen ways

The Inner U Destroyed Film Rally is at $9,721 and 525 followers!!, which is so close to getting the Greenlight ($10,000), keeping all the money pledged and moving into the next stage of support. Thanks so much to all of you

The Inner U Destroyed Film Rally is at $9,721 and 525 followers!!, which is so close to getting the Greenlight ($10,000), keeping all the money pledged and moving into the next stage of support. Thanks so much to all of you

The support was tremendous and it got the needed followers and donations to get the Greenlight and qualify as a finalist.

NOW, the ten projects in the Untold Story Rally with the most followers at the end of June will move on to the finals, where a panel of esteemed documentarians will select a winner to receive $20,000 in matching funds, distribution to 100M homes, and $5,000 in storage from G-Technology.

This kind of support would be great in getting our voices heard and helping other women suffering side effects in "making the connection" that their IUD may be the cause.

Right now this project is in the top 4!!!

Please help keep it in the top 10.... and better yet! really show how many of us are out there and how important this effort is by putting it in the number 1 spot.

Please "FOLLOW" and then "SHARE" it via facebook, twitter, pinterest or email using the little "share" button. THANKS!

Hi Everyone, I created an account just so I could post on this thread because I think it's important to hear women's experiences. I've read every single entry of this thread to get information about the Paragard copper IUD. I've had my copper IUD for almost 8.5 years. I had it removed yesterday (and today but I'll get to that later). I'm 32 years old, never been pregnant. I'm super sensitive to hormones and have tried various birth control pills and the Nuvaring. I have had suspicions that my IUD had been causing me issues but I never really followed that out because I enjoyed the protection of having birth control and it didn't make me as "crazy" as birth control pills.

Upon insertion I had a vagus nerve reaction. I got really lightheaded, dizzy, kinda nauseous, and out of it. The Planned Parenthood nurse gave me juice and crackers and after laying down for awhile I felt better and was on my way. I experienced some cramping and spotting but everything was fine. It's hard to remember because that was so long ago but for the first few months my period sucked really bad. One period I remember I was going through super plus tampons and thick pads every 20 minutes. But, I toughed it out and my periods did get better after that. My periods remained heavy though and lasted about 7 days.

Soon after I had a yeast infection for a year. I couldn't get rid of it. I changed my diet and it seemed to get better but that was a long process. I remember thinking that it could have been the IUD but I wanted to give it more time and again, loved that I had birth control.

For years I felt like the IUD was a great thing. I told my friends that I loved it and that the only drawbacks were the heavier periods and worse cramps during that time of the month. Looking back now, I don't know if that was actually true. My symptoms were very much a gradual process so I don't think I noticed that it could have been from the copper IUD or from copper toxicity. I still don't totally know if I have copper toxicity or heavy metal overload but I suspect that I do because I have so many symptoms.
nutritional balancing dot org (sorry I can't post the link)

Symptoms of High (Excess) Copper

Feelings of doom

Fatigue and exhaustion

Hypothyroid (slow thyroid)

Mind is in a fog

Headaches, migraines

Mood swings

Supersensitive, weepy

Cold hands, and/or feet

Depression

Dry skin

Chocolate cravings

Feeling of loss of control

Paranoia

Despair, suicidal feelings, hopelessness

Arthritis, calcium spurs

Constipation

Racing heart, pounding heart

Adverse reaction to vitamins and minerals

Problems with concentration and memory

Short attention span, ‘spaciness’

Eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, overeating

Panic attacks, high anxiety, free floating anxiety

Yeast infections (candida)

Aching muscles or muscle cramps

Hypoglycemia

Mind races -- insomnia, interrupted sleep

PMS

Mononucleosis

Low blood pressure

Obsessive thoughts

So, I've had major issues with candida, OCD, depression, anxiety, sugar cravings (especially chocolate), tendinitis in my wrist, fatigue, constipation, back pain, and skin issues including hidradenitis suppurativa and what I suspect to be Prurigo nodularis. Honestly, I feel like I've had most of the symptoms for the above list which is why I decided to remove it yesterday (6/16/16). I also suspect that I might have had copper toxicity before I had the IUD because I had some of those issues before, but they have become increasingly worse in the last couple of years.

So, removal. I went to Planned Parenthood yesterday to have my IUD removed. The clinician said that it was sitting really low which might be why I was feeling back pain. Unfortunately, when she took it out, an arm off the T didn't come out and the clinician that was there was not cleared to do an ultrasound on me so I had to go back today. By the way, I had another vagus nerve reaction yesterday, and with the thought of this "arm" floating around in me and with the reaction, I was basically a mess yesterday. Thankfully, the doctor today was able to find the arm by doing the ultrasound, it was embedded (fancy word for "stuck") near my cervix. It was painful but she was able to pull it out from the lining and got it out. I've had some light bleeding and spotting, but my back already feels a lot better.

Now I am going to focus on detoxing the copper out of my system. I've followed the paleo diet on and off for years. I've done the autoimmune protocol (AIP) of the paleo diet for a year to work with my candida and hidradentis. I've always thought that my root problem was the candida but now I think that the root cause has been the copper. I've had a considerable amount of weight gain (40 lbs) over the past few years despite my efforts in dieting. I've also been gluten and coffee free for a year and a half.

I'm hoping that following a detox protocol will help tremendously and I'll check back with progress once my IUD has been out for awhile. In the meantime, it's condoms for my boyfriend and me. It's not our favorite method of BC but it will have to do for now. He's really supportive so I'm not worried about all of that. I'm going to be trying a diaphragm with spermicide as well since I am so sensitive to hormones. We'll see how all of this goes. I wanted to share my story because I found this thread incredibly helpful in making my decision to have it taken out so I wanted to contribute so women can make an informed decision whether to get an IUD and/or when to take it out.

|13nut, one of the things that happens as copper rises is that it gets stored in the body's tissues and becomes bio-unavailable, meaning the body is not able to use it properly. Copper is a natural fungacide and helps control candida, but when it becomes biounavailable, it is not able to do its job, and this makes the person prone to yeast infections and especially candida. You also mentioned the weight gain you experienced. This is also very much copper related, or rather copper's effect on other minerals. Copper raises calcium and lowers potassium. Calcium slows the thyroid, while potassium speeds it up. So as your biounavailable copper rose from the IUD, your calcium likely also went up and potassium dropped, slowing your thyroid, and contributing to weight gain. What is not taught out there in medical school is the connection that minerals have with each other, and how those imbalances affect health. In order to detox, most successfully, you need to know what your current mineral status is, otherwise you can end up making things even worse, and the most reliable test for this information is HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis). Please don't fall victim to blood tests which are so misleading when it comes to showing your mineral levels. With HTMA information you can then target specific minerals and have a much more intelligent detox protocol created. Here is a very eye-opening article on this topic. (Sorry, it seems I can't post links here, so simply add "http:" in front of the following)... bit.ly/2aomeHj